


Is That A Sword In Your Pocket? [And Other Lame Jokes]

by sinfuldesire_archivist



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, First Time, Fluff, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-25
Updated: 2009-03-24
Packaged: 2018-09-03 06:03:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8700247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinfuldesire_archivist/pseuds/sinfuldesire_archivist
Summary: Jensen wants justice.  Eliot wants a beer and a stripper, in that order.  Alec wants people to stop breaking his shit.  Jared...well, Jared just wants a job.  [Remix of 'The Three Musketeers' for j2_everafter]





	1. PART ONE

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the Sinful Desire archivists: this story was originally archived at [Sinful-Desire.org](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Sinful_Desire). To preserve the archive, we began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2016. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [Sinful Desire collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/sinfuldesire/profile).

**Title:** Is That A Sword In Your Pocket? [And Other Lame Jokes]

**Starring:** Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki. Special appearances by Eliot Spencer [Christian Kane] and Alec Hardison [Aldis Hodge].

**Rating/Warnings:** Adult. AU. A lot of swearing.

**Word Count:** approx. 14,500

**Summary:** Jensen wants justice. Eliot wants a beer and a stripper, in that order. Alec wants people to stop breaking his shit. Jared...well, Jared just wants a job. Written for j2_everafter based on the movie **The Three Musketeers**. I don't know who I should apologize to first, Walt Disney or Alexandre Dumas. Featuring Alec and Eliot from _Leverage_.

It's only when Jared Padalecki's well down Interstate 5, Los Angeles almost in reach, that he lets up on the gas pedal and feels his heart stop racing. There's no sign of the sleek silver Lexus following him, lost in a high speed game of cat and mouse out of Santa Cruz that thankfully hadn't attracted police attention. Relieved, Jared eases into heavier traffic, the bustle of L.A. surrounding him.

 

Giddiness overtakes him and Jared can’t help laughing. It's been a ridiculous morning; Chad red-faced and blustering as he tried to kick Jared's ass over his sister's "honor". Jared laughs harder remembering the unmanly squeals the blonde man made when Jared repeatedly knocked him to the pavement. All good and rousing fun until Chad's older brothers drove onto the scene, forcing Jared's hasty exit and escape down California highways. 

 

Jared turns up the volume on his old Jeep's stereo, blasting Andrew McMahon's piano rock vocals into the bright California morning. Picturing the look on Chad's face when he'd peeled out of the parking lot, yelling a rude comment about his sister just for kicks, makes Jared smile even wider. He wonders how the squirrely Murray boy would have reacted if Jared had shouted his regard for Chad's youngest _brother_. Oh, that would have been priceless. 

 

After all, when the lithe eighteen year old boy asked Jared to teach him how to kiss, what was he supposed to say? _No_? 

 

Now, passing exits leading to the city he's always wanted to live in, Jared can only imagine what the rest of the day holds for him. Coming here is the fulfillment of his father's dream - Jared's dream too. It's a little silly, but he can almost feel his Dad riding with him, chuckling as Jared cuts through traffic to get off the highway, guiding him to downtown Los Angeles where a new job waits.

~*~

Jensen stops on the sidewalk, catching the breaking news through a store window. People pass, oblivious, as he's riveted by the news he knew was coming.

 

_Los Angeles Mayor Alan King Arrested for Corruption_. 

 

With Timothy Richelieu, the ruthless and underhanded politician, back in town, it was only a matter of time until he tried to bring King down and went after everyone still loyal to the Mayor.

 

Jensen thought they'd have more time. 

 

He'd skipped the meeting this morning at his precinct, knowing his connection to Alan King wouldn't go unpunished by Richelieu's cronies. Hell, he expected more than a few members of his department were dirty - Jensen would be muscled out in no time despite the years he's given to the force. 

 

The anchor repeats the news that will shock citizens of Los Angeles. Jensen catches new information from the scrolling headlines - Mayor King's home and office had been searched for evidence the night before. 

 

Knowing he's probably lost his job, Jensen sends two quick text messages as he walks away from the window. He might be alone now, but he's pretty sure he that won't last. 

 

An hour later Jensen's crouched in the foyer of Alan King's city penthouse having slipped by the police guards easily. Timothy Richelieu might have a lot of cops in his pocket, but no one said they were the smartest. The debris around him makes it clear Richelieu's thugs were thorough and unnecessarily destructive in their search. What could be upturned and emptied was, other furniture smashed and kicked apart, no thought for order and efficiency here. There's nothing left for Jensen to salvage. 

 

"Let the fuckin' bastards have it," he mutters to the empty room. Jensen can find another way; he'll have help. 

 

"What the hell?" 

 

Jensen goes for his gun in a split second, pulling and drawing in a motion honed by repetition and necessity. He's almost impressed when the owner of the young, strong voice barely flinches as the .45-caliber pistol is aimed at him. 

 

"Who the hell are you?" 

 

The guy stammers a bit, cocked gun stealing some of his bravado. "What the fuck happened here?" 

 

"Name, _now_." 

 

"Jared...I, uh - I was supposed to meet with Mayor King today. He...he said he'd meet me here - shit, did he get robbed?" 

 

He edges away from Jensen, eyes darting wildly but always returning to the gun in Jensen's unwavering grip. Jensen takes the chance to size up the tall kid. Based on his stance, Jensen guesses he's not carrying. He's wearing a slightly rumpled dress shirt and dark jeans, sunglasses pushing back thick, wavy brown hair. For a split second Jensen thinks he's face to face with young Hollywood, but he's never seen this kid before in his life. 

 

He doesn't have time to appreciate the view, no matter how enticing. He holsters his weapon. "No, Alan King wasn't robbed. Now get out of here." 

 

Jensen's planning on doing the same; he’s ready to meet up with the 'help' and figure out what the fuck is going on. 

 

"I was supposed to have an interview with Mayor King, maybe get a job." Jensen doesn't actually care, this idiot can stand here as long as he wants, probably get arrested when Richelieu's hired faithful inevitably come back. 

 

"I don't give a shit. I'm leaving," Jensen tries to stalk out, eager to leave. "Feel free to poke around for souvenirs." 

 

A large hand on his chest stops him at the doorway, heat spreading and adding to the fire burning in his stomach. 

 

"Well where the _hell_ is he?" 

 

"Go watch the news." He's close enough to see gold flecks in the younger man's rich hazel eyes, and Jensen doesn't back away. 

 

"Was that supposed to be helpful?" 

 

" _Excuse me_?" He can hear the dangerous edge to his own voice. If this kid's smart, he'll hightail it without another word. 

 

"I need to see Alan King." 

 

_Heard that the first time_ , Jensen scoffs silently. 

 

The boy's eyes narrow but they're hardly menacing. His voice gets slower, more deliberate. "I would appreciate your help." 

 

Rather than being pacified, Jensen wants to laugh. Or, you know, punch the kid. His mouth twists in an intimidating smile, one that's always told bad guys they're in for the worst ride of their lives. Jensen's getting desperate for an outlet to vent his frustration. Fighting or fucking - it's all the same. With the speculative look the boy's giving him, he's not sure what he'd prefer. 

 

"Get lost, kid." 

 

Jared's eyes flash and Jensen's a little fascinated. "Don't fuckin' call me kid!" 

 

"Listen, you walked into something bigger than your damn interview, so either get lost or let me leave." There are only inches between them but the young man steps closer into Jensen's space. "I don't give a shit why you came here, pretty boy, this place was ripped apart for a reason. I think the Mayor's got bigger things to deal with than your unemployment." 

 

Jensen smacks Jared's hand away from his chest and pushes past him. 

 

"Hey!" 

 

Jensen spins fast, catching the young man off guard and he reels back. 

 

"Clearly, you need a lesson in manners, _boy_ ," Jensen knows he hitting a sore spot, but he wants to ruffle Jared's feathers. He waits for his meaning to become clear and he's surprised with the confident, whispered response. 

 

"Anytime." 

 

A fight it is. Jensen won’t admit his slight disappointment. 

 

"Warehouse 81, down at the Port of L.A., at two o'clock," he grates, sees Jared swallow and his eyes catch momentarily on the movement of his Adam's apple. "Think you can manage that?" 

 

"I'll be there." 

 

"I'll be waiting, kid." 

 

Turning on his heel, Jensen strides out of the penthouse quickly and catches the elevator without looking back. Once inside the steel box and on his way down, he sighs and shakes off the encounter, sure that kid's going to be in police custody long before he makes it to the abandoned warehouse. 

 

He leans his head back against the gleaming metal wall and sighs. It's barely noon and he already needs a drink.

~*~

Jared's beginning to think that maybe, _just maybe_ , coming to Los Angeles was a really shitty idea. Never in a million years could he have imagined a day like this.

 

First the narrow, yet crafty escape from Chad's moronic brothers, followed by walking into Alan King's penthouse office and having a gun drawn on him by a stranger with vibrant and angry green eyes. Then another escape from the Murray family, the members of which apparently were smart enough to track him to the city. Who knew?

 

Oh, did he mention the fights?

 

The circumstances of the first stir Jared's blood thanks to the fierce gaze and gorgeous face of the man from the penthouse. A cop, Jared would bet, from the familiar way he drew his gun and his holster-heavy stride. Yeah, he hadn't found out anything useful from the guy until he pulled up today’s headlines on his iPhone, but not a total loss. Jared's already looking forward to their next meeting.

 

Until he ran into a black man as tall as he was. It wasn't Jared's fault that this _jerk_ was large enough to block Jared's escape path through a sidewalk cafe. He didn't have to make such a big and obnoxious deal of the fact that Jared _supposedly_ made him drop his laptop. _Drama queen_. The guy had looked ready to throw down on him right there in public. He'd narrowly escaped, shoving a hapless waitress towards the guy and making a run for it all while hearing the guy's threats to "seriously fuck with his life" following him.

 

He couldn't make this stuff up. Resigned to the fact that now two people in L.A., plus Chad's brothers, all wanted him dead, Jared went on his way. He was minding his own business when a man dropped out of the sky. Literally.

 

Los Angeles _sucked_.

 

Like it was the natural reaction to any bad situation, the ornery long-haired cowboy who'd landed on Jared decided to pick a fight. Jared, still annoyed at being crushed, felt entitled to his bad mood but the cowboy didn't take well to Jared's sarcasm. Five minutes later, Jared found himself flat on his back with an aching jaw, listening to yet another crudely worded threat.

 

Really, it was ridiculous. Why did everyone want to kick his ass? His mom always told him what a nice boy he'd grown up to be, and he believed her. Everyone loved Jared back in Santa Cruz. Except Chad, of course, but he had a good reason. A really good reason if he ever bothered to talk to his younger brother.

 

Jared's only got a little time before he needs to be at the warehouse. He could easily blow it off, get lost in the city and never see the handsome cop again, but he'll show up. He feels listless, no idea what to do now that Alan King's been arrested and his chances blown to hell. The meeting gives him focus, even though he could walk away from it with a black eye or worse.

 

He doesn't believe the news feeds for a second. Alan King, corrupt? Not in Jared's world; Gerald Padalecki always said Alan was a good man, honest and fair, and Jared's father was never wrong. Something's going on and Jared refuses to slink back to Santa Cruz without finding out more. And his green-eyed stranger is going to provide the first clue.

 

Now, if he could only remember where he parked his Jeep.

~*~

They're in a back alley dive, Jensen drinking half his beer in one swallow. Eliot's brooding on the next bar stool, cracking his knuckles - an agitated grinding of bone on bone that makes Jensen's spine tense in sympathy.

 

And Alec won't _shut up._

 

"And _then_ the lanky dude just danced away like my baby's insides weren't decorating the sidewalk."

 

"Jesus, Hardison, shut up." Eliot grumbles into his beer. "It's just a laptop."

 

Saul, the aging bartender, is used to their banter and grumbling, ignoring them in favor of staring off into space.

 

Alec clicks another plastic panel from the mess in front of him into place. "Just a...aw hell no, you didn't not just say that. _Just a laptop_ , my ass."

 

"Least you weren't injured. I had to jump down from a fire escape to get away from one of Richelieu's thugs."

 

"He _broke_ my _laptop._ I don't see you missin' any pieces."

 

"Yeah well, I would have if that dumb bastard hadn't broken my fall."

 

Jensen laughs, looking past Eliot to Alec's scowling face. "Don't you have like five laptops?"

 

"Six, but this one's special."

 

"Right," Eliot mutters.

 

Alec goes back to pouting and mumbling. "Don't know why I'm talking to you anyway. Probably can't even work a box."

 

"Hey!"

 

It feels good to laugh with these guys - Jensen's brothers. Jensen Ackles, Alec Hardison, and Eliot Spencer -the Three Amigos, the Musketeers, whatever you want to call them. Alan King had called them all 'dumb idiots' when they started out as young cops under the ambitious police captain. They'd grown up in the force, sharing stories, patching wounds, and drinking together to forget the hardest days. Eventually they went their separate ways - Jensen became a homicide detective, Eliot went to work in high-profile security, and Alec turned computer forensics into a specialized career - but they remained friends. Always brothers.

 

All three of them owed their successes to Alan King. And all three knew they'd be at the top of Timothy Richelieu's list to be eliminated.

 

"Man, I don't get it."

 

"What's to get?" Eliot says, low and apathetic. "Richelieu made his move and we couldn't stop it."

 

"Didn't know enough to stop him," Jensen adds. "What's his endgame though?"

 

"He always hated Alan," Alec recalls. "Plus, a man in Richelieu's position would be a good replacement if the Mayor was brought down."

 

"Thought his ambitions were larger," Eliot muses. "That scumbag's always thought big."

 

Alec fits another piece of his laptop back in its place. "It's out of our hands now. I say we ditch this city before Richelieu comes after us, 'cause you know he's gonna."

 

"Run like cowards?" Alec's suggestion clearly doesn't sit well with Eliot, even if it might be their only option. Still, it doesn't feel right to Jensen either. Besides...

 

Jensen clears his throat. "If you two want to get out, find somewhere to lay low for a while, I'll meet up with you."

 

"Wait, what the hell will you be doing?"

 

"I kind of have a thing."

 

Eliot glares. "Kind of?"

 

"A thing?" Alec finishes. "What's that sound like to you, Eliot?"

 

"Sound like some bull _shit_ to me, Hardison."

 

"Feel like telling us why you want to risk your ass stayin' here?"

 

Jensen leaves out the details. "I have to meet someone in an hour down at the Port, settle some business."

 

Eliot pushes his long hair back out of his face. "Right, Jen. That wasn't vague. At _all_."

 

The guys won't let it go and Jensen shakes his head. "I met this kid over at King's penthouse." Just calling Jared 'kid' sends his mind back to the fiery look on the young man's face.

 

"A kid?"

 

"A _guy_. We got into it and he was in my face. I threatened to lay him out and he didn't back down."

 

"What the hell was he doing at Alan's?" Alec questions with a raised eyebrow, starting on his second bottle of beer.

 

Jensen shrugs, playing the confrontation over in his head. He can picture Jared - _feel_ his hand, _smell_ his confidence - and it stirs something uncomfortable deep within him.

 

"I'm supposed to meet him down by the Port at two. He probably won't even show up."

 

He's got to be giving something away in his face, or Alec and Eliot know him too well, since they're both smirking. Jensen huffs and averts his eyes.

 

"Can we get back to our bigger problem?"

 

"Sure you don't want a few minutes to _reminisce_?" Alec enunciates, smirking.

 

"Well Jenny, sounds like we need to meet this kid."

 

"Maybe we should go with you." Jensen wants to smack the smile off Eliot's face. "You know, backup."

 

"Y'all suck," Jensen drawls, annoyed and flushed. "Alan? Richelieu? Our asses on the line? Any of this ringing a bell?" 

 

Thankfully his friends stay quiet and Jensen sighs. He starts again. "So we know Richelieu had to provide evidence somehow. There's gotta be a source and a trail."

 

"He's got dirty cops and lawyers from here to San Diego," Alec adds. "But there had to be someone close to Alan to feed information and plant evidence."

 

"A needle in a haystack of payoffs and blackmail." Eliot's shaking his head. "And we know that he'll be coming after us if he can track us down."

 

"Which makes me wonder why we're still sitting here instead of runnin' off to Mexico!"

 

"A little late for that, don't you think?"

 

The cold, dry voice silences the three of them. Jensen shifts on the bar stool and locks eyes with Michael Rochefort, lips twisting into a sneer at the sight of his old partner and his two leather-jacketed goons.

 

"Mike, you dirty piece of shit."

 

"Nice to see you too, Ackles," Rochefort rasps, despicable smile turned on the three men. Saul quickly shuffles away, leaving a three-on-three stare-down.

 

"Get the fuck out of here, Rochefort."

 

The former detective's laugh makes Jensen's skin crawl. Rochefort is neck deep in Timothy Richelieu's scheming - has been since before he and Jensen were teamed up in the L.A.P.D.. Showing up here is a bad sign for the three friends.

 

His smile twists dangerously. "But we just got here, how about a drink for old times?"

 

"How 'bout I knock you and your moron friends through that window?" Eliot growls, already off the barstool and bristling.

 

“Still just a pumped up dick, Eliot? That’s a shame.” Rochefort grins when the goons behind him laugh. “Fine, I’ll get right down to business then. Jensen, I’m sorry to say you’ve been suspended from your department, pending relocation. Canada’s nice this time of year, I hear.”

 

It’s no surprise to Jensen, but it still hurts, knowing that these corrupt men have such influence.

 

“Why don’t the three of you come with us, lay low for a while until all of this blows over? You can stay out of trouble and we won’t have any problems.”

 

Alec snorts. “Like that’s gonna happen.”

 

Mike smiles as if the response is what he expected. “Then I guess I have no choice but to make sure you won’t interfere –“

 

Whatever threat Rochefort’s about to make is cut off as Eliot grabs the nearest liquor bottle and tosses it at the hostile trio. It distracts them enough for Alec and Jensen to stand and start throwing punches. Eliot jumps into the fray swinging and cursing. Good old Saul, smart enough to know when trouble can’t be avoided, stays out of sight until the hits cease and all he hears are groans of pain.

~*~

Jared curses traffic as he drives out of downtown, knowing he'll be late. He doesn't know why he's so irritated - there's a good possibility he completely misread the cop and he's about the get the crap knocked out of him. But the thought of his stranger still sends a thrill racing into his blood. Part of him wants answers and part just wants. Jared's not too comfortable analyzing _that_ so he doesn't, focusing on finding the damn warehouse.

 

The green eyed man is outside waiting when he pulls up, leaning casually against a concrete wall and looking for all the world as if he and Jared are about to have a pleasant conversation. Light smoke from the man's cigarette curls around his chiseled features and sunlight catches the soft spikes of his hair. 

 

He looks the same as before. Worn leather jacket drapes over broad shoulders, covering strong arms. A black shirt paired with dark denim jeans. Sun glints off the small silver cross in the dip of the man's throat, drawing Jared's eyes back up. The only things missing are the gun and the fierce anger. 

 

"You're late." His voice is just as rough and intense as before, striking Jared as _wrong_ coming from such a soft, plush mouth. 

 

"In a hurry to eat pavement or something?" Jared pushes as much bravado into the remark as he can. He might have a few inches and twenty pounds on this cop but that means nothing to an experienced fighter. He's felt the strength in this guy's chest, in his arms. 

 

Jared's glad to see the smirk pulling at the other man's lips; they have no real quarrel, but a fight's a fight and neither man is going to back down. 

 

The cop steps close, nearly sliding into Jared's space and he doesn't mind the intrusion. The other man laughs softly, mockingly, and Jared wants to push him back into that wall. 

 

"You know, we could drop this act," Jared suggests, steadying his voice and praying that he's not wrong. "Forget fighting, I don't want to have to kick your ass." 

 

If possible, the cop moves even _closer_ and his eyes track up and down Jared's chest. "Really? What _do_ you want?" 

 

Jared's mind provides plenty of helpful suggestions, some in very vivid detail, and none of which he can mention out loud. 

 

"Answers," he finally manages. "I want some god damn answers. What happened to Alan King? Why did you point a gun at my head? Who the _hell_ are you?" 

 

"You first." 

 

Fair enough, Jared thinks, as long as he gets his answers. "I told you, my name's Jared Padalecki." 

 

A strange look crosses the other man's face at his last name, almost recognition, but Jared doesn't comment. "I was supposed to meet Mayor King to talk about a job. He was friends with my father..." 

 

"Was?" 

 

"Yeah," he murmurs. "My Dad passed away." 

 

The cop nods, his expression still hard and focused, and finally extends his right arm, taking Jared's offered hand in a firm grip. "Jensen Ackles, detective with the L.A.P.D.. I worked for Alan King when he was a police captain." 

 

"And now?" 

 

"Now, like you, I'm trying to figure out what's going on," Jensen grates out, sounding as frustrated as Jared feels.

 

Jared's sure that Jensen knows a lot more than he does and a question's on the tip of his tongue when another voice calls out from behind him.

 

"Yo, Jenny, sorry we're late!"

 

Jared spins and comes face to face with the last two people he wants to see. He barely has time to hear “oh _hell_ no” before he’s ducking one punch and stepping backwards to avoid another. Forced against a wall by the two men who’d ruined his morning, Jared’s grateful and surprised when Jensen steps in front of him.

 

“What the hell, guys?”

 

“That’s the guy!” The tall black man’s yelling. “The lanky dude!”

 

“The bastard I fell on,” the long haired one drawls.

 

Jensen looks at Jared over his shoulder, humor brightening his eyes. “Not having a banner day, are you?”

 

The dark skinned guy raises an eyebrow and looks from Jensen to Jared. “This is the kid you were supposed to fight?”

 

Jensen nods, broad back still blocking Jared from the shorter man. “Yeah, about that…I think there’s been a change of plans.”

 

“Come on, Jenny,” the cowboy interrupts, stepping closer. “Let me kick his ass if you’re not gonna do it.”

 

“Kick _my_ ass?” Jared defends. “You punched me _after_ you landed on me!”

 

“Hey!” Jensen lays a hand on the cowboy’s chest and pushes him away. “No ass kicking, we have bigger things to deal with. Guys, this is Jared Padalecki.”

 

“Wait, Gerald’s kid?”

 

“You knew my Dad?” Jared turns sharp eyes on the cowboy but he doesn’t get an answer as Jensen introduces his friends.

 

“Eliot Spencer,” he motions to the shorter man who still isn’t thrilled with Jared’s presence. “And that’s Alec Hardison.”

 

“Jen, if you guys aren’t gonna throw down, maybe we should be thinkin’ about that Mexico thing. A little TJ, you know? ‘Stead of staying here and getting _killed_ when Mike regains consciousness?”

 

“Killed?” Jared steps around Jensen.

 

“Look, kid, this ain’t your business,” Eliot sighs before Jensen can start explaining.

 

“Don’t call me k-“

 

“Jared, hey,” Jensen turns to him. “These guys are right. I need to get out of here. You need to-“

 

Jensen’s cut off by the screeching of tires as a large black Escalade appears and stops. In a split second Jensen and Eliot’s postures shift – weight balancing and ready. Jared’s confused but when five men jump out of the s.u.v. and Alec groans, he knows this isn’t good.

 

“Twice in one day?” Alec’s muttering while Jensen and Eliot track the approaching group. “We’ve got to find new places to hang out, y’all.”

 

“Don’t suppose you boys came here for the scenery?” Jensen shouts, mouth twisted in a grimace.

 

The five thugs they’re faced with don’t bother responding but the largest pulls a police baton from his coat and suddenly all hell breaks loose. Jensen pushes Jared out of the way as the leader comes at him with the baton swinging dangerously. Two of the thugs go after Eliot and Alec drops his bag and tangles with another. Jared can’t see more than that as the last ugly son of a bitch comes after him, meaty hands landing a lucky punch to Jared’s already sore face. _Great_.

 

Shaking it off and uncaring that he doesn’t know why he’s in the middle of a brawl, Jared swings back and catches the thug on the jaw with a wicked right cross. He can’t see how the others are faring but Jared came wound for a fight and he’s getting one, taking out his frustration on the stranger currently failing to beat him up.

 

Jared hears a laugh and a holler behind him – Jensen and Eliot – and he takes those as good signs. He ducks another of the thug’s jabs and lands a hard kick to his shins, dropping him to the pavement. Jared drops down and strikes a couple more blows, finally knocking the guy unconscious. When he stands, clutching his now battered knuckles against his chest, Jared finds the three friends staring at him, their opponents laid out just like Jared’s.

 

Eliot gives a low whistle and Alec turns to Jensen. “Sure you could have taken him, Jen?”

 

Jared smiles even as Jensen glares. “Anyone want to tell me who I was just fighting?”

 

“Some goons hired by Tim Richelieu,” Alec says before Jensen can stop him. “The three of us are good friends of King’s.”

 

“Means we’re at the top of his list to get rid of.”

 

“Richelieu? You’re telling me Tim Richelieu’s behind what happened to the Mayor this morning?”

 

“It’s pretty obvious, kid,” Eliot drawls and brushes dirt off his knees, missing Jared’s glare at the hated nickname. Jensen catches it though and smirks for only Jared to see. “And if we don’t want to start fighting a dozen more paid off thugs, I think we need to be makin’ ourselves scarce.”

 

"Wait, you're leaving?" Maybe it was the fist fight but Jared feels involved now.

 

"Sorry man. Those were some crazy ninja skills though," Alec's saying, picking up his bag. He and Eliot start walking away, leaving Jared staring at Jensen's troubled expression. Jared still barely knows the detective but the voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like his father tells him Jensen can be trusted. It won’t matter a lick though if Jensen ditches him right now. From the darting looks, that’s exactly what Jensen’s planning.

 

“Jensen, please,” Jared pleads softly. “Let me come with you. Whatever you’re doing, I can help.”

 

“The only thing I’m doing is getting the hell out of Los Angeles. You should do the same. If anyone finds out you helped us…”

 

“I don’t give a shit! I can help.”

 

“Wake up, Jared!” Jensen shouts, hands thrown up. “There’s nothing you can do.”

 

The anger flashing in Jensen’s eyes is mixed with pain and it hurts to see.

 

“Now get the hell out of here.”

 

Jared’s struck silent as Jensen spins and stalks away, fists clenching rhythmically at his sides. He stands and watches until Jensen disappears around the building, hearing an engine start and drive away a moment later.

 

He’s not sure how many minutes tick by until he catches another engine’s rumbling. There’s no time to hope that it’s Jensen coming back for him; Jared’s stomach turns when another menacing black s.u.v. appears on the scene. Dashing to his Jeep, Jared slams the keys in the ignition and listens to the sickening clunks of the engine trying and failing to turn over. The Escalade stops but the Jeep still won’t start. Jared prays, turning the keys in a last desperate attempt as the doors of the other vehicle open, revealing more leather-jacketed men.

 

The engine won’t engage and Jared bites back a scream, reaching for his cell phone and dialing numbers in haste.

 

He is _so_ fucked.

~*~

“I’m tellin’ you, he’s turning us in right now!”

 

“He wouldn’t do that, Eliot, he’s Gerald’s son. That man didn’t raise a coward.”

 

Eliot keeps pacing back and forth in the small room. The trio hadn’t split up after the warehouse, holing up in a vacant apartment Hardison found and Jensen broke into.

 

“We don’t know that,” Eliot continues unhappily. “The kid has no loyalty to us. He’ll turn on us in a second if it saves his hide. Anyone would.”

 

Arguing with Eliot is pointless, even though Jensen vividly recalls the earnest look on Jared’s face when he abandoned the younger man - heard his impassioned pleas. He leans over Alec’s shoulder, eyeing all the different windows on the screen.

 

“How’d you figure out Jared was arrested?”

 

“I’ve got programs running to catch any mention of our names – warrants, memos, emails, you know. I added the kid’s name on the way over here, figured it couldn’t hurt.”

 

Thanks to Alec’s quick thinking, they’d no sooner stepped into the apartment when Alec was alerted to Jared’s arrest.

 

“He’s being held at the 26th precinct, charged with assaulting an officer.”

 

“The two-six? That’s gotta be one of the dirtiest,” Eliot adds unhelpfully.

 

“Damn it, more of Rochefort’s men must have shown up after we left!” Jensen pounds a fist on the desk and Hardison leans over his equipment protectively. “We shouldn’t have left him there.”

 

“Didn’t know we were picking up strays, Jenny.”

 

“He’s not a stray,” Jensen snaps. “We’ve got to help him out.”

 

“Break him out of a police precinct?”

 

“Like _that’s_ a stretch for us, Alec. You can do it, right?”

 

Hardison nods, looking back at his screen and pulling up a few new windows. “I mean, yeah, I can. It’ll be just like this job I pulled up in Sacramento.”

 

Eliot’s head whips around. “Hey! I did that job.”

 

“ _I_ made it possible.”

 

“I did all the work!”

 

Jensen lets them and goes back over everything that’s happened since he found Jared in Alan King’s penthouse. It’s crazy, but he feels like he owes Jared – the kid showed his mettle just by coming to the warehouse, and then to fight _with_ them?

 

“Fine, you _contributed_ ,” Alec’s saying.

 

“Contributed, my ass,” Eliot scoffs. “It was _my_ idea.”

 

“Whatever.”

 

“So tell me how we can do this,” Jensen interrupts further bickering. Eliot and Alec glare at each other for another moment before Hardison turns to Jensen.

 

“Way I figure it? The two-six might be dirtier than Eliot’s hair, but Richelieu can’t afford to pay off everyone, especially all those beat cops getting stuck with holding cell duty.”

 

“So?”

 

“So we just have to do a little digging, pick the right time and the right cop to send a memo to.”

 

“A memo?” Jensen questions. “You want to get Jared released using only a _memo_.”

 

“Well, I mean, there’s a lot more to it than the memo, jeez,” Alec rolls his eyes. “I’ve gotta dig through some finances, pick someone who’s definitely not getting paid off. Then, if Eliot wants to _contribute_ , he can figure out our getaway ‘cause we can’t exactly be showing our faces in that precinct.”

 

Eliot throws his arms up and walks away, but Jensen doesn’t doubt the cowboy’s mind is already working on getaway options. Jensen turns back to Hardison and listens to the details he’s laying out. It all sounds crazy, but it just might work. He doesn’t stop to question why he’s really so eager to help Jared, simply figures that they’re not in a position to help Alan King yet, but busting Jared out of a precinct is something they _can_ do.

~*~

Now Jared's _sure_ coming to Los Angeles was the worst idea he's ever had. Even ignoring his earlier problems with Jensen and friends, he's still sitting alone in an L.A.P.D. holding cell. _Awesome_.

 

It's funny, he could have sworn he was supposed to get a phone call or something but ever since he was dropped in this cell hours ago, no one's been by for him to harass. The men who had drawn their guns on him back at the warehouse - and _wow_ , was that quickly becoming an annoying experience - had taken Jared's cell phone and barely said a word. One look at their unconscious comrades and Jared was swiftly cuffed and stuffed in the Escalade - no questions asked and a few extra punches thrown in for good measure - his curses and demands ignored. It's like he's been forgotten; Jensen left and even the cops aren’t bothering with him now.

 

Of course, being forgotten hasn't been all bad - Jared's overheard some interesting things. If only he could get out of here and find Jensen...

 

"All right, kid. Time to go."

 

_What?_

 

A portly, red-faced officer steps into Jared's view. "Apparently there was some sort of mix up and you were supposed to be released an hour ago."

 

It sounds strange but Jared's definitely not going to argue. His emancipator's a chatty one though, yammering as he opens the cell door. "Just got an email from the police commissioner - he's pretty upset you were held this long. Guess you've got someone lookin' out for ya, hey kid?"

 

Jared laughs uneasily, no idea what this man's talking about. He follows the officer down the corridor and through a nearly empty squad room before they reach the front door, where the cop hands him his phone and wallet both sealed in a plastic bag. Jared goes to turn and ask about his Jeep when he catches frantic waving outside the double glass doors.

 

_Jensen_.

 

The detective's down on the street standing beside a large, silver pick-up, motioning for Jared. He can't help the smile that stretches his cheeks. The officer letting him go turns to say something when a yell from the squad room stops them both.

 

"Hey, Jenkins! Where are you taking that kid?"

 

He's so fucking sick of being called kid but there's no time to get angry. Another officer appears looking irate and Jared knows, somehow, that Jensen and his friends arranged his release, and that he needs to get the hell out of Dodge right now.

 

Jared hears Jenkins call back. "Don't worry. I got the memo ordering his release! The commissioner insisted-"

 

But he's already running out the door to the sound of more shouting, making a dash down the steps towards the pick-up's open door, jumping inside to slide next to Jensen in the king cab. Jared doesn't look back as Jensen slams his hand on the back of the driver's seat.

 

"Go Eliot! Go!"

 

With no seat belt, Jared's knocked against the detective when Eliot peels away from the curb. In the passenger seat, Hardison's got a laptop open, typing furiously.

 

"We being followed yet, Jenny?"

 

Jensen's head whips from side to side and Jared tries to help by craning around and looking out the back window.

 

"Not yet. Hardison?"

 

"Already on it," Alec replies, clicking away at the keys. "All right, jamming their radios and..." he pauses then laughs. "Ha! There go their computers and GPS."

 

"So they won't be able to follow unless they see us?"

 

"Damn straight, bro."

 

Jared breathes a sigh of relief and glances over at Jensen, matching his bright smile. "Guess I owe you, huh?"

 

"I'll collect."

 

From the humor in Jensen's eyes, it's meant jokingly but Jared can't suppress the shudder down his spine, hiding it by pressing back against the seat and hanging on for the ride. Eliot's swerving through traffic efficiently - nothing too crazy or they'll get caught. Not that he has much prior experience, but being a passenger in a car chase hardly compares to the adrenaline rush of being the driver.

 

"Where are we headed?"

 

"Someplace not _here,_ " Eliot grumbles.

 

"What about my Jeep?"

 

"It's either still at the warehouse or it'll end up in some impound lot," Alec says, not looking up from his laptop. "But I think you've got bigger problems."

 

Jensen snorts. "Yeah, so do we. Breaking you out was good and all, but we still have no idea how Richelieu managed to bring down King and our situation’s not getting any better until we do."

 

Jared clears his throat. "Maybe I can help with that."

 

Three pairs of eyes fix on Jared - Eliot's through the rearview - and Alec looks skeptical. "You know something we don't?"

 

"Like I said, maybe. I overheard a few conversations when I was in the precinct, I think they'd forgotten I was even there or thought I wouldn't know what they were talking about."

 

Jensen slides a little closer on the seat, eyes earnest. "What did you hear?"

 

Jared thinks, replaying his unintentional eavesdropping back in his mind, remembering what was said first.

 

"There were two people talking in the hallway outside of the holding cells," he begins, focused on Jensen's face even though all three men are listening intently. "One had a scratchy voice and he was saying how clever Richelieu was for getting King out of the way."

 

"Scratchy voice?" Alec questions. "Had to be Rochefort, that cocky son of a bitch. What else?"

 

"The other man mentioned Senator Conroy."

 

"Whoa, he's involved with this?"

 

Jared shakes his head. "I don't think so. They said King would never take his seat once all the corruption charges made the news."

 

Jensen sighs. "Conroy must be leaving the Senate after this term, and I'll bet anything Alan King was going to run."

 

"California Senator, that's a pretty powerful position," Alec remarks, starting to tap away at his keyboard again, sifting through articles. “Why settle for being the mayor when you can be a Senator?”

 

"Yeah, and if Alan King ran, there's no way our man would lose. He's too squeaky clean."

 

"Until today," Jensen groans. "Richelieu must want that Senate seat and he knew he'd never win against King."

 

"I think you're right," Jared rejoins the conversation. "One of the men said that they'd be able to get whatever they wanted once they were aligned with a Senator."

 

Eliot growls and grips the steering wheel, hitting the gas pedal as he accelerates onto the highway. "Dirty fuckin' politician."

 

Jared starts when Jensen's hand drops on his knee, drawing his eyes back to the green pair. 

 

"Was there anything else?"

 

"There was a name," Jared remembers. "But I don't know who they meant. They kept mentioning a DeWinter."

 

Jensen's voice drops to a harsh whisper. "Rebecca."

 

"That sneaky _bitch_ ," Eliot adds from the front seat.

 

Hardison shakes his head. "I'd bet my limited edition Chewbacca action figure she's the one who was close enough to King to plant any evidence. Slimy, she's probably been working for Richelieu the _entire_ time."

 

"Y'all know her?

 

Jensen nods and Jared's momentarily distracted by the reds and golds of the setting sun highlighting the older man's face. The detective catches him looking and Jared feels his face flush, the warmth having nothing to do with the fading sunlight.

 

"Rebecca DeWinter's probably the only black mark to Alan King's name," he explains. "King and his wife barely see each other and Rebecca's been his mistress off and on for years."

 

"They've been planning this for a while then," Jared thinks aloud and sees Jensen nod again.

 

"Looks like," Jensen sighs wearily. "Hardison, do you think you can set up your equipment somewhere and dig in to the evidence? Where it's all coming from?"

 

The situation is complicated and Jared barely knows more than what he's heard in the last few minutes, but a thrum of anticipation works through his limbs. He's no longer a bystander - the innocent and unwanted kid who'd stumbled onto something big. No, Jared's a part of this now, and not even Jensen can force him away.

 

"Probably. My stuff's all in the back, _hopefully_ not damaged," Alec says pointedly to Eliot. "We just need somewhere to lay low for a while so I can do some lookin'."

 

Eliot grins at Hardison. "I got the perfect place..."

 

 

Continued in PART TWO.


	2. PART TWO

~*~

Jensen can list dozens of potential hideouts where they could go to ground - abandoned offices, old friends’ places, empty cabins. However, Eliot's tastes are a little different and given the circumstances, strangely brilliant.

 

Over an hour out of L.A., sun fully set, Eliot had pulled into a half-full parking lot, looking for all the world like he'd just come home.

 

"A _strip joint_?" Alec looked out the passenger window at the nondescript building, its neon sign proclaiming 'The Menagerie’ was open for business. "This was your plan?"

 

"Like anyone would look for us here."

 

They'd all followed Eliot, smiling as he greeted the bouncers outside and the sultry women and bartenders inside.

 

Now, Jensen's enjoying a double scotch neat, watching the other three men crowded around a table closer to one of the stages, pieces of their exuberant conversation reaching him.

 

"Now kid, you gotta pay attention," Eliot's saying over the blaring music. "There's a certain way you need to handle these fine ladies."

 

"Seriously?" Jared's face twists in confusion and it's a little adorable to see. "Aren't twenty dollar bills the best way to-"

 

"Dude! I know you did not just say that."

 

"Eliot, let me field this one," Alec interrupts, large hand pressed to Eliot's chest to hold him away from Jared.

 

"Yeah, cause you're the fuckin' expert," the cowboy mutters, falling back in his chair.

 

"That chick in Palo Alto?"

 

"The entire _sorority_ at SoCal?"

 

"It wasn't an _entire_ sorority, I saw the video on YouTube."

 

Jensen laughs softly as he watches Jared get frustrated with trying to interrupt. The women of the club flock to their table in pairs, loud laughter and their willingness to have a little fun drawing the ladies. It keeps them away from Jensen and he's grateful. Not really his type, anyway.

 

"You've got to charm them, Jared," Jensen hears Eliot say, and he must be warming up to Jared for him to drop the 'kid' moniker for a little while. 

 

Jared sits and listens attentively even though his eyes are slightly glassy from the beers he's had. Every so often Jensen catches a glance thrown in his direction - Jared's hazel eyes are speculative, curious. They stay at their respective tables, Eliot and Alec running their mouths back and forth while Jared’s attention is split.

 

After another drink, the day’s starting to catch up with Jensen and colored lights are going fuzzy in the corners of his eyes. Alec and Eliot are still going strong but Jared's turned staring into a teasing game. Jensen's not oblivious - Jared has probably noticed desire flare in Jensen's eyes more than once since this morning. He's getting frustrated but it's a far cry from the anxiety and anger he felt in King's penthouse. Jared's no longer a mystery and he's _more_ appealing to Jensen now.

 

But he's tired; the energy that's kept him going all day has drained as fast as Jensen drains his scotch. The motel across the street is sounding better and better. By the looks of things his buddies aren't turning in anytime soon and Jensen can't begrudge them their fun. They're all wound tight, losing focus - no one more so than Jensen, and it's all because of the _kid_.

 

While Jared's distracted by a leggy brunette, Jensen drops some money on the table and slips out. The California night is crisp, the slight chill easing the flush of his skin and calming him. He pays cash for two rooms, leaving a key with the wrinkled manager for one of the other guys to pick up. God, he hopes Alec takes the other room - that dude _snores_.

 

A few minutes later Jensen's got the door to his room propped open, letting the cool air filter through and replace the musty motel smells. He takes a long drag from his cigarette, nicotine doing for the thrum in his blood what the night breeze did for his warm skin.

 

The air around him shifts ever so slightly and Jensen doesn't need to look up to know that Jared's standing beside him.

 

“Finished learning to charm strippers and whores?”

 

“I left when Eliot and Alec started arguing over how to kiss a woman.”

 

Jensen only hums in response, exhaling the bitter smoke and watching it disperse into the air. 

 

Jared steps a little closer, voice slurred and sultry. "There's nothin' those guys can teach me I haven't already learned."

 

The invitation is clear as day in Jared's whispered words and Jensen's sick of fighting. Fighting Richelieu's thugs, fighting King's invisible foes, fighting _this_.

 

Flicking his cigarette to the ground and crushing it with his shoe, Jensen looks Jared straight in the eye.

 

"How about putting those lessons to use, _kid_."

 

It's not so dark that Jensen misses the narrowing of Jared's eyes. _Good, he's still with me_. The younger man's so close, breath mingling, and the dim light doesn't hide the mottled bruising starting to appear on Jared's face. He wants to reach out - to soothe, to _touch_ \- but he doesn't, just waits for Jared to make the first move.

 

"I told you," Jared exhales. "Don't _fuckin_ ' call me kid."

 

Jared's lips are warm on his cool cheek, moving slowly towards his mouth. Jensen tilts his head before their lips meet, baring his jaw and throat for soft nips and kisses. He's not prepared for that - not _ready_.

 

The younger man keeps trying even when Jensen pushes him away. He swears he hears a low whimper but he ignores it, raising a hand to grip Jared's elbow and spin them both into the room, kicking the door closed. His hands settle on Jared's lean waist, nearly losing himself to firm lips traveling down his neck. It's gentle, caring, and _too much_. Jensen can't take it; he's got to have Jared _now_.

 

Palms grip tighter and Jensen feels Jared's arms wind low around his hips. Jared's lips move to his ear, whispering nonsense but that's no good either. Jensen distracts them both by starting to unbutton Jared's dress shirt, while the younger man slips Jensen's leather jacket off.

 

He's flipping the shirt off Jared's shoulders when he's suddenly pushed back, the edge of the bed catching his knees and Jensen drops onto the mattress. Jared groans and falls to his knees, pushing forward between Jensen's legs, hands running along his calves and pushing for space. Jensen's shirt is the next to go, landing at their feet. Jared doesn't try to kiss him again but the younger man's breath is hot along Jensen's collarbone, teeth catching on his silver cross as Jared moves down.

 

Jared's goal is clear when hands find Jensen's zipper, quickly working to expose his dick. When Jared's head bends down, face pressed teasingly against Jensen's inner thigh, he's suddenly breathless. It's a gorgeous sight, Jared's bare shoulders flexing and back undulating when his mouth closes over Jensen. He has to wind one hand through Jared's hair, feeling the softness, using the other to support himself on the bed so he doesn't collapse backwards.

 

Jensen doesn't have the mental ability to critique Jared's blow job, but whatever he's doing is pretty damn good. Despite their earlier flirting, Jared's not teasing him. It's all firm pressure and wet heat, long swipes of tongue and delicious twists of Jared's palm. He's close to coming within minutes and if he gets off now, Jensen's not sure he'll have the energy to return the favor afterward. And hell no, that's something he has to see.

 

"Jared. _Jared_..."

 

He waits until Jared pulls off his cock, the blood heavy muscle straining to return to hot pleasure. Seeing Jared's slick and parted lips, Jensen's so tempted to lean forward and kiss him. _Not yet_. Jared catches him staring, blurry eyes showing no disappointment - only a grudging acceptance.

 

Using a last burst of energy, Jensen pulls Jared onto the bed, twisting so they're touching foreheads to thighs. Jared hardly pauses before his tongue and lips slide back onto Jensen's cock, but Jensen's got Jared's jeans to contend with. When he finally pushes them down to Jared's knees, he catches his breath, temple resting on Jared's muscular leg, his body nearly wiped out.

 

But Jared's cock, slightly curved and very flushed, is too enticing. He mirrors what Jared's doing to him, enthusiasm tempered slightly by exhaustion. Sucking kisses, pulsating throats, and smooth strokes leave them both panting after a few minutes. 

 

They're just stroking each other now, breathing harshly against sensitive skin, rhythms faltering as pleasure takes over. Jared comes first, gasping and mouthing at Jensen's inner thigh. Feeling teeth bite into the flesh there, Jensen loses it, splashing hot over Jared's hand and chin.

 

When the only sounds in the dingy room are their matched, deep breaths, Jared pulls Jensen up and around. He's too spent and lethargic to fight the movement. It's uncomfortable, half dressed and getting sticky, but Jared barely looks coherent. Jensen squints when he turns on the bedside lamp, Jared flinching away from the light and curling into a pillow.

 

Grabbing a pillowcase from the other bed, Jensen wipes them both clean before tossing the fabric into a corner. He strips them both down to boxers, too tired to be amused at Jared's sleepy protests. Jensen quickly stops in the bathroom, downing two glasses of water and filling one for Jared. He contemplates stealing the second pillow from Jared's bed for himself, or just passing out right there in the empty space next to the younger man, but he doesn't, settling down on the other bed. 

 

He doesn't really want to deal with Jared's long limbs without _knowing_ what he's getting into first.

~*~

Jared wakes with a shiver. He doesn't remember the room being that cold last night but it's all he can feel. Cold and _pain_.

 

He sits up with a gasp, momentarily disoriented, but a warm palm presses down on his chest, holding him back.

 

"Hey," Jensen's voice is a low whisper against his temple. "Jared, lay back. It's okay."

 

Guided by strong hands, Jared settles back against the sheets with Jensen leaning over him. His face aches, the pain from all those punches yesterday no longer masked by adrenaline and excitement. Sympathetic green eyes watch as Jared brings a hand to his sore face, feeling along slightly swollen ridges where the bruising has got to be spectacular. 

 

He groans deep in his throat and Jensen reaches to lift his hand away, replacing it with a bag of ice. _That explains the cold_ , he thinks then hisses, shocked for a second by the frozen compress before it starts to feel good. Neither man speaks but for Jared, this feels more intimate than last night. Jensen’s so close and so caring, moving the ice along his jaw and cheek. This side of Jensen is new - Jared bets it's one rarely shared. He tries to ignore the crazy voice in his head that claims _mine_. After a few minutes, Jensen moves the bag of ice to press on Jared's right hand, covering tender knuckles with blissful cold.

 

When the pain starts to subside, Jared lifts his free hand and rests it on Jensen's cheek, elated when the man's eyes slide closed, turning his face into Jared's palm. Carefully, he draws Jensen to him, fascinated when Jensen's eyes open just before their mouths connect.

 

A long buried memory comes to Jared's mind as their lips press together cautiously.

 

_The first kiss should be all that you are_.

 

He can feel the truth in that. After the first hesitant touch, Jensen becomes confident but playful, a perfect compliment to the older man's strong and teasing personality. His tongue parts Jared's lips, the low rumble of Jensen's contented moan travels along the supple flesh and Jared can _feel_ it against his tongue. Jensen's hold on him is firm but not constraining - not holding Jared back if there's anything he wants to take.

 

And Jared does, slipping his sore hand behind Jensen's neck, banishing any hesitation he feels. He's glad this didn't happen last night; the memory would have been tainted and fuzzy from alcohol. This is so much better, drawing back to suck softly on Jensen's lower lip, curious but uninhibited, and hearing the low sounds they're both making. He hopes Jensen can feel everything he's trying to convey in the kiss and in the exploration of his hands.

 

Their quiet moment lasts until Jared rolls onto the melting bag of ice. The cold shock forces him to break the kiss with a gasp and Jensen laughs when he sees what happened. The older man pulls back and stands up, Jared finally noticing that Jensen's fully dressed, hair still wet from a recent shower.

 

"You going somewhere?"

 

Jensen nods and Jared's throat feels tight. "Rebecca DeWinter's got a nice place in San Diego where she's holed up, according to Alec's searching."

 

"Do we have a plan?"

 

If Jensen notices that Jared's including himself, he doesn't mention it. 

 

"Get up and grab a shower," the detective says, slight smile keeping the instructions from sounding too harsh. "I grabbed a couple of shirts from Alec's bag in case you wanted to change. Don't worry, they're clean, I checked. Meet us over in room twelve when you're done and we'll talk."

 

He wants to reach out and drag Jensen down for their second kiss but he disappears too quickly, leaving Jared alone to get ready.

 

Half an hour later, all four men are crowded around Alec's computer set up, listening to what he's found.

 

"Now here's where it gets a little funky," Hardison's saying, pointing to lines of code that hurt Jared's eyes. "Far as I can tell, everything King's been accused of actually happened. That's why it's all so convincing. The trails are real. But," he stops to laugh. “They obviously never expected a being with my kind of talent to comb through this."

 

"Stop preenin'," Eliot smacks Alec's shoulder. "What's the funky part?"

 

"It looks like someone else is guilty of all this but logs were changed, phone and credit card records tampered with and put in different names."

 

Jensen crosses his arms. "Someone went through a lot of trouble to frame King."

 

"We know who..."

 

Jared can feel the three men's anger flare up again, only banished temporarily last night to let them unwind, and he sympathizes. From what he knows, Jensen, Alec, and Eliot looked on Alan King like a father; they feel his betrayal acutely, ready to do battle for their mentor. The bruises on Jared's face and hands remind him that he's got a score to settle with Richelieu and his goons, too.

 

He realizes he hasn't been paying attention when Jensen says, "so we split up, just in case, and drive down to DeWinter's place in San Diego. Eliot, can you grab me a car?"

 

"Not a problem."

 

"You two can take Eliot's truck."

 

"And dude, Hardison, no more eating in my truck!"

 

Jared's as lost as he felt in King's penthouse. _So much for my involvement_. Then, in a gesture that must be obvious to Alec and Eliot, Jensen's hand drops on his arm.

 

"You coming?"

 

"Jenny..." Eliot grumbles.

 

Alec doesn't look bothered and Jared doesn't know why Eliot's quietly objecting. He thought they were past all that. Jensen's looking at him expectantly and Jared smiles. Working with Jensen? Almost certain danger?

 

"Absolutely."

 

Eliot comes through on a car an hour later - Jared finally grasping that when Jensen said "grab a car" he actually meant "steal a car." Sitting in a stolen older model Mercedes is a new experience for Jared but he just shrugs when Jensen asks if there's a problem. Compared to everything else in the last thirty-six hours, this is nothing.

 

Driving with Jensen isn't awkward - Jensen tells him all about Rebecca DeWinter and what he'd missed of Alec's findings this morning - but there's no mention of the previous night or their _first_ kiss. He's not going to bring it up, not when things are easy. It feels like he's known Jensen for a long time. There's still a lot of mystery but Jared knows enough to trust him. Jensen's the kind of man Gerald Padalecki would have approved of. Speaking of...

 

"You knew my Dad."

 

"I knew of him," he replies, weaving in and around traffic. They're sticking to local roads, through tougher neighborhoods while the others take the highway. "I never got the chance to meet him. Alan always mentioned your dad though, said he was a great guy."

 

"He was. They went to school together, you know. High school and college, that's why they were close and why I could have had a job with him."

 

"What kind of work were you-"

 

The familiar sound of tires screeching on pavement cuts Jensen off and Jared prays that no one's chasing them. But Jensen starts swearing, dashing Jared's hopes and taking a swift turn to shake the s.u.v. that's now obviously tailing them.

 

"How the _fuck_ ," Jared's thrown into the passenger door as Jensen takes another curve without braking, "did they find us?"

 

"A charge at the bar? Watching motels? I have no idea!"

 

Jared quickly decides that trying to talk is a bad idea. Letting Jensen concentrate on driving? Way better. In a move Jared couldn't pull off in Grand Turino, Jensen pulls the Mercedes into narrow alley, barely enough room for the car to pass through. He thinks that _just maybe_ they've eluded the other car, but less than thirty seconds later it pulls in after them, stopping a hundred feet away. It's a menacing thing to see with deeply tinted windows blocking one of their ways out. 

 

Before Jensen can put the car in gear to pull forward out of the alley, a shot echoes through the narrow space. Jared's muscles lock up, he feels paralyzed; he's _never_ heard anything like it. He wants to turn but Jensen's pushing him down, shouting something but it's all jumbled in Jared's head.

 

There's another shot and the car shudders alarmingly, Jared finally processing what Jensen's yelling.

 

"Stay down, Jared!"

 

Jensen tries to press the gas and the Mercedes protests.

 

"Shit, they shot out our back tires!"

 

The gunfire ceases but Jared's ears are ringing. Movement on Jensen's side of the car catches his eye and he watches the detective pull a weapon from his shoulder holster - Jared hadn't even noticed he was carrying.

 

"Fuckin' pieces of _shit_ ," Jensen's fuming as he pulls back the slide and checks the magazine before clicking everything back in place, thumbing off the safety.

 

"You're gonna shoot back?" Jared yells from where he's scrunched down in his seat.

 

"Hell yes! I don't really like getting shot at, Jared!"

 

Jensen looks at him and the fury dims just a little bit in those bright green eyes.

 

"Look, they're not trying to kill us, Jared."

 

_That's news to me_ , he wants to say, but keeps quiet.

 

The other man sighs but he doesn't sound annoyed. "Richelieu doesn't want a body count on this thing, or any of the questions that come with it." Jensen stops and thinks for a moment, Jared desperate to know what's going through his mind. Finally, he swallows and looks pointedly at Jared.

 

"Get out of the car and stay low."

 

"What?"

 

"Do it, Jared. Trust me."

 

It would be wrong to argue with Jensen when there are people _shooting_ at them, so he obeys, sliding out the passenger door and crouching low on the dirty pavement. Jensen follows, crawling over the center console and kneeling beside Jared. He leans up just slightly to look through the Mercedes' windows and another gunshot drops him quickly.

 

"Shit, they don't want us leaving this alley."

 

"I thought you said..."

 

"They've gotta know we're up to something by now," Jensen looks to the other end of the alley and the quiet street beyond. "Better to keep us pinned here as long as they can than have us messing up their plans."

 

Jensen reaches into his jeans pocket and pulls out a slip of paper, handing it to Jared.

 

"That's the address of the DeWinter mansion, we're only an hour or so away."

 

"And clearly this car isn't going anywhere, Jensen. What am I supposed to do with this?"

 

He can swear Jensen almost smiles at his high-pitched whine. _Asshole_. 

 

"You need to go, Jared. Get out of alley and find a cab, find a bus, _something_. Get down to San Diego to help the guys or go back to Santa Cruz. I'll cover you."

 

_Cover him. With a gun. While people are shooting at him._

 

"You're insane, I'm staying with you!"

 

"No, you're not!"

 

Jared wants to shake Jensen. They've come through all this _together_ , and there's no fucking way he's going to leave Jensen alone in an alley with God only _knows_ how many hired guns. He's about to keep protesting when Jensen spins quickly, grabbing Jared's upper arms and leaning close.

 

"Jared..."

 

The single word is so soft compared to the shouting and the gunfire. Jensen doesn't say anything else but Jared's reading Jensen's eyes. In this one look, he can see _everything_ \- Jensen's need to protect those around him, his resolve to always be strong, his desire for justice. His desire for _Jared_. It's more than the older man could have said with a thousand words and it's more than enough for Jared to nod his head shakily.

 

"Okay," he whispers and Jensen's chest collapses with the force of his relieved sigh, eyes dropping to watch Jared stuff the address in his pocket.

 

"I'll be fine, Jared, I swear," Jensen answers before Jared can even ask his next question. "I _swear_."

 

He's being pushed away and Jared can't say anything else. Jensen's yelling at him to run, standing up and firing a few shots at the immobile s.u.v.. He hears more shots as he's running, to afraid to look back, rounding the corner of the alley and coming out onto a brighter street. He doesn't stop to catch his breath until he's well away from the alley, not running in the open and hiding from any passing cars.

 

Jared's about a block away when the _look_ hits him again. He nearly doubles over from the pain it's causing him, even though Jensen had sworn...

 

He takes a deep breath and leans against a brick wall, listening closely for any more gunshots. Spying a parking lot across the street, an idea starts coming together in his head. Jared thinks through his plan for a moment, nodding to himself that _yeah_ , this could work.

 

But Jensen's probably going to _kill_ him later.

 

He only prays that his iPhone is as useful in a pinch as all those ads claimed.

~*~

"Stupid mother _fuckers_."

 

Jensen’s down to his last clip, currently crouched behind a dumpster midway down the alley. The Mercedes is useless now, plenty of bullet holes in the gold metal. He’s got to make a run for it soon, still glad that Jared’s already clear. Jensen can’t second guess sending him away; he needs to keep Jared safe. Yeah, he’s a part of their little “rebellion” now, but thugs with guns are something else entirely. If Jared were to get seriously hurt…

 

A mixed cacophony of shouts and sirens breaks out in Jensen’s ears. The men from the other car are scrambling and yelling to each other as the whine of sirens gets closer. And over all the noise, Jensen hears a familiar voice calling out.

 

“Jensen!”

 

_What the_ …

 

“Jensen, run! Come on!”

 

Jared’s at the end of the alley standing next to a silver sedan. Jensen doesn’t fight the urge that has him running while the gunmen are distracted. Jared’s already jumping in the driver’s seat and Jensen slides in opposite, looking back at the alley as Jared peels away.

 

Twenty minutes later, after a tense and quiet drive and once Jensen’s positive they aren’t being pursued, Jensen tells Jared to pull off into a grocery store’s parking lot.

 

“You came back?” 

 

He doesn’t mean to sound angry, but Jensen was just _rescued_ for fuck’s sake and it’s absurd.

 

"I hotwired a car!" Jared's practically bouncing in the driver's seat. "I had to look it up on the internet but-"

 

Jensen shakes his head, fighting the laugh already in his throat. This kid is _ridiculous_. "Holy shit, I can't believe you."

 

"And then I called the cops."

 

"You fuckin' _what_?"

 

"I called 9-1-1 from a payphone, Jensen. I reported shots fired two blocks away from where you were. Figured the sirens might scare Richelieu's men off..."

 

Jared's smiling like he's just been given a freakin' puppy, but all he's gotten out of this is _Jensen_ , shaky from nerves and scuffed up from his roll in the alley. 

 

“You stupid…” He’s trying to process the fact that Jared came back for him, probably risking more than he knew, but thinking is complicated so he just stops, leaning across the seat and grabbing Jared’s shoulder.

 

This time their lips meet passionately, the second kiss more wild and desperate than the first. Gentle and exploratory was good, but this is better, bodies pressed as close as they can be in the limited space. Jensen’s taken back to their very first meeting, the dilemma of _fight or fuck_ swirling through his mind. Thankfully he hasn’t needed to fight Jared yet, but this is incomparable. It’s all they are – all they can be together. Jensen's never been prone to such harlequin insights, but feels it now with Jared.

 

A honk across the parking lot makes Jared pull his lips away, but it’s probably for the best. The younger man still looks ecstatic, and Jensen hopes it’s more from the kiss than from stealing a car. Which, Jensen figures, he’ll be dealing with later, hopefully once they’re all free of this mess.

 

Jared’s voice is excited and a little smug. “So, are we even now?”

 

“Even?”

 

“You rescued me, I rescued you.”

 

Jensen smirks, leaning back in the passenger seat. “In your dreams, kid.”

 

The younger man’s laugh is the best thing he’s heard in a while and Jensen has to pray they make it out of this okay so that maybe he can have this whenever he wants.

 

“Whatever,” Jared jokes lightly. “Ready to go kick some more ass?”

 

He could be annoyed that this kid’s starting to sound like him, but he just grins, wide and honest.

 

“Let’s get out of here.”

~*~

“Seriously, have you _ever_ had to torture someone before?”

 

“Man, why you gotta make everything a competition?”

 

“I’m not! Geez, Hardison, we’re sort of on a timeline here.”

 

“Can’t rush perfection, man.”

 

“Christ, just give me the scissors and I’ll do it.”

 

The scene Jared and Jensen walk in on shouldn’t be funny, but neither man can stop laughing. They hadn’t encountered any more problems on their way to the DeWinter mansion, Jared still riding an adrenaline high from the firefight and subsequent car theft. Not to mention that kiss.

 

Now, after stepping over a few unconscious bodyguards – Eliot’s work, no doubt – they’ve found Jensen’s friends arguing while a man sits, tied to a chair, gagged, and looking terrified, between them. There's a variety of useful objects lying around them - a baseball bat, a golf club, a kitchen knife set, and for some strange reason, a bottle of ketchup. Jared immediately starts laughing because he'd never expected to come upon a scene like this, coupled with the ridiculous arguing. Jensen raises his eyebrow like he thinks Jared's crazy, but then starts laughing along with him.

 

"What the hell's taking so long?"

 

Eliot whips around, calming when he sees them. "That's what I've been asking, Jenny. Hardison won't let me have a turn."

 

"Don't be so dramatic."

 

"Don't change the subject!"

 

"Holy shit, they're like kids with a piñata," Jensen leans over and whispers, then asks loudly, "have you found out anything useful?"

 

"Rebecca's already left the country," Eliot starts, the bound man whimpering when the cowboy steps closer. "She flew out as soon as the news hit the air. But this kind gentleman," he indicates the simpering figure, "is her personal secretary and he knows _all_ about what his boss was up to."

 

"And he knows where the backups of all Richelieu's and Rebecca's files are," Alec adds, swinging a pair of scissors casually around his finger.

 

"Bet he knows where Rebecca fled to."

 

" _I_ was just about to crack this guy..."

 

"When? Sometime in the next century?"

 

"I was choosing a technique!"

 

Jared suddenly wishes he'd gotten more sleep last night - these guys are driving him crazy. If he were tied to that chair, he'd start talking just to make them shut up. He turns to say as much to Jensen but he's no longer by Jared's side. Ignoring Alec and Eliot, he finds the detective leaning over their captive from behind. Jensen's lips move in a whisper. Jared can't make out what he's saying but their captive's eyes go wide as saucers and he starts stammering.

 

"Fine! Fine! They're in the hidden bedroom safe!" He yells frantically, twisting against the duct tape binding him. "The code is six-one-two-eight-one-four-four!"

 

Jensen's smile is a little dangerous when he stands straight and there's no denying it's turning Jared on. Jesus, the things he could _do_ with that man...if they weren't trying to bring down a dirty politician and considering methods of torture, of course.

 

DeWinter's secretary is still blathering and Jensen looks satisfied. Eliot and Alec just stand there with slack jaws - they stop arguing and glare at Jensen in sync.

 

"Aw man! Why you gotta ruin things like that? I was just about to get down to business."

 

"Come on, Alec," Jensen laughs. "Let this nice man take us to the safe, what do you say?"

 

"Fine, but next time I get to be the silent-ninja bad ass."

 

The two of them drag their poor "victim" upstairs, leaving Jared in the living room with Eliot.

 

"What the hell did Jensen say to that guy?" Jared blurts out, curiosity assaulting his inner-cat.

 

"Probably better if we _don't_ know, kid." Eliot's watching him carefully and Jared can feel his energy draining. He backs up and sits on a couch, uncomfortable with the way Eliot's just staring.

 

"Lookin' a little tense, Jared."

 

"You think?"

 

"Not really all you expected when you showed up in L.A., huh?"

 

"I thought I'd have a job by now and spend today looking for apartments."

 

Eliot kicks aside the baseball bat and sits in the chair their captive vacated. "Don't think it's all so bad though. I mean, if this all goes down right, I think King'll give you a job, easy."

 

"Yeah..."

 

"And then there's you and Jensen."

 

"Yeah...wait, what?"

 

One corner of Eliot's lips are pulled in a smirk but it doesn't make him look any less menacing. Of course, Eliot could be sticking his tongue out at Jared and _still_ look borderline homicidal.

 

"Y'all crashed pretty early last night, it's not that hard to figure out," the cowboy's saying. "'Course, there's also the way you two birds are lookin' at each other all the time. Kinda creepy, but what can I say?"

 

Jared doesn't really want Eliot to say anything and he wishes there was something interesting in the room to comment on, but it's filled with ugly designer furniture, walls decorated with the art of inflated egos and stuffed wallets. Boring, so Jared starts playing with the hem of his t-shirt. Alec's t-shirt actually, he'd forgotten.

 

"Look," Eliot says finally, and Jared can't read his expression. "I just want you to know, Jenny doesn't _do_ this all the time."

 

"Doesn't try to save the world and rescue strays?" Jared deflects, knowing perfectly well what Eliot's trying to say.

 

"That either, but he's damn good at it, huh?"

 

Jared's spared any further awkward conversation with Jensen and Alec's reappearance.

 

"We got everything we need," Alec fist-bumps Eliot as he walks by, dropping on the couch next to Jared. "Time to celebrate!"

 

"Wait, where's the secretary?"

 

"Glad to finally be unconscious," Jensen drawls. "I cuffed him to one of the beds for a nice, long nap."

 

Jensen stands next to Eliot, eyes on Jared. He tilts his head just slightly.

 

_You okay?_

 

Jared nods and blinks slowly.

 

_Yeah, just tired._

 

"So what now?" Alec unknowingly interrupts their silent conversation.

 

"Now, you can wrap all that evidence in a bow and hand it over to that Channel Five anchor you're always goin' on about."

 

"Aw man, Julie's gonna love me when I give her this story," Alec's giddy now. "It's gotta be worth what, five or six dates?"

 

"She's married, Hardison."

 

"So, this is the story of the year right here, bro!"

 

Jared really has no idea what's they're talking about and Jensen's still quiet, letting the other two hammer out their plans. He trusts them - whatever they do with their evidence is bound to rock Los Angeles and set things right, but Jared's just glad the worst is over. He hopes.

 

When they're clear of the mansion, all four men back in Eliot's truck, they head back towards L.A.. Jared catches a few more details as the other three are talking, but for the most part he's still in a daze.

 

It's only been two days since he left his small apartment in Santa Cruz but it feels like weeks. With all that's happened, Jared hasn't had time to stop and think, no chance to properly freak out. He's quiet for most of the ride; Jensen notices but doesn't push. He slides a fraction closer on the bench seat and rests warm fingers on Jared's thigh. Jared appreciates the silent support - Jensen probably knows exactly what's spinning through his mind.

 

Closer to the city, Jensen leans up towards the driver's seat.

 

"Hey Eliot, do you mind dropping Jared and me off before you two meet up with Julie?"

 

"Where?" Eliot sounds unsure but there's no arguing.

 

"Pick someplace nearby, I don't care."

 

"Jensen, I'm fine," Jared insists, figuring all this is on his account. "Just keep going and -"

 

"You've been sittin' there like a zombie for half an hour, kid." Eliot finds his eyes in the rearview.

 

Jared doesn't sulk but he crosses his arms and keeps his mouth shut until Eliot pulls into a parking lot and Jensen's yanking Jared and his bag out of the truck.

 

They're at a hotel this time, every room displaying the same bland anonymity. It's clean and the beds look soft; Jared can't really ask for anything more than that. Though, he certainly wants more.

 

"Hey, sit down before you fall over."

 

He's obeying before he thinks to object, needs of his body overriding his mind. Jensen's on the hotel phone and fifteen minutes later there's a knock on their door. Jared comes out of his haze to the smell of food - burgers and fries - and his stomach chimes in with how long it's been since a proper meal.

 

Plates are emptied quickly to the tune of light conversation, both standing to stretch sore muscles and tight stomachs when dinner is finished. Jared drops his arms with an aching sigh and finds Jensen in his space, banishing most other thoughts.

 

Jensen's eyes appraise him first. "You okay?"

 

There are so many possible ways Jared can take that - and a myriad of answers.

 

"Yeah." It's the truth, Jared can admit. He's had two days of violence, adrenaline, and friendship all churned together with intrigue but he's okay with all of it. He’s a big boy, he can deal. So he tries to joke. 

 

"You're so serious," he says, moving close enough to Jensen to nip playfully at his nose.

 

Jensen's eyelids drop, relieved, and he grins tiredly. "Just making sure, it's been a crazy couple of days."

 

"Mmmm," he shuffles closer, leaning into Jensen. He'll never admit to this vertical cuddling, but it's _nice_.

 

"Jared..." 

 

He feels Jensen's warm breath against his ear and pulls back just enough to meet somber green eyes. A hundred possibilities occur to him in the span of seconds. _Jensen's going to thank me and say we're done. He's going to tell me to go back to Santa Cruz. It was only one night and -_

 

"Jared, you _stole a car_."

 

Birds could fly into Jared's mouth, his jaw drops so quickly.

 

_Holy shit, I stole a CAR_.

 

Then he slams it shut and starts laughing uncontrollably. Jensen takes one look at his red face and loses it right along with him, releasing all the tension and nerves in a bout of gasping silliness.

 

When they've gotten themselves back under control, Jensen's voice is pitched low.

 

"You were amazing, Jared, I mean it."

 

The sentiment's punctuated by Jensen's fingers hooked in his belt. He doesn't know what Jensen likes, so Jared follows his own road, slipping his hands in Jensen's back pockets and fusing their bodies together. This kiss is altogether different from the previous two. Wrapped up in their lips is everything Jared wants tonight - touch, taste, and more of the feeling that he's an essential part of Jensen's world now.

 

“But seriously,” Jensen pulls away, “no more stealing cars.”

 

“It wasn’t that hard, I mean-“

 

“Jared.” Gun calloused hands slide along his jaw, and he’s intent on learning their texture in the near future. “Promise me. No…?”

 

“No more stealing cars. Got it.”

 

“Good.” Jensen moves back in to lick at Jared’s lips, muttering. “Bad enough I have to deal with the _one_ car…”

 

They’d left the sedan at the DeWinter mansion, Alec and Jensen swearing they’d take care of it.

 

"Going to arrest me, _Jenny_?" He adds Eliot’s sugary nickname like icing on his sultry tone.

 

Green eyes flash dangerously and again Jared feels that thrill of arousal. "I didn't bring my handcuffs."

 

"Guess we'll have to save that for later."

 

"Count on it."

~*~

It's déjà vu when Jensen comes out of the bathroom.

 

Jared's breathing is deep and even. He's already fast asleep, not reacting at all when the door closes and the bedside lamp is flicked off. Just like the first night, Jared's curled around a pillow, stripped down to boxers and leaving plenty of room for Jensen to lie down beside him.

 

This time, he doesn't resist. He slips in under the soft sheet, content just to stare at the long lines of Jared's back on display. He's free to touch, thrilled by the possibility of learning every inch of Jared intimately in the future.

 

It's almost ironic - Jensen's way out of his comfort zone with Jared but it feels good. Two days and he's considering a future? Strange, but he's learned more about Jared, about them together, in the last forty-eight hours than in the entirety of his few former relationships. He grins to himself thinking that all first dates should be comprised of car chases, gunfights, and strips clubs. Life and death situations certainly bring out a person’s true nature.

 

He’s looking forward to learning everything he can about Jared’s nature if he gets the opportunity. They didn’t talk about it tonight – both men deciding their time was better spent making out and stripping each other until Jared finally threw Jensen back on the bed and straddled him. After that, there was little thinking of any kind, Jared taking control to grind their naked bodies together until they both exploded.

 

It was completely different from their first coupling – that one fueled by fading adrenaline and stress. This time, Jared’s smile was bright and relaxed as he bit gently across Jensen’s stomach, stopping every few moments to steal another kiss, making up for Jensen’s denial the first night. Jensen found that he was grinning in turn. Jared’s enthusiasm was contagious and he let himself go, releasing the last shreds of frustration and stress to enjoy the younger man affecting presence.

 

When they came, Jensen was pinned beneath Jared once more, bare shafts slick and sliding against one another. Jared’s lips and hands hadn’t paused in their joined assault for even a moment and he felt the younger man come apart as Jensen rode the high of his own orgasm.

 

Now, stretched out behind Jared, Jensen feels the call of sleep, so different from the night before. He pulls the sheet over them both, shifting closer so his arm lies along the line of Jared’s back.

 

He’s so comfortable that he doesn’t even mind when fifteen minutes later, Jared flips in his sleep and wraps every spare limb around Jensen.

**EPILOGUE**

They're gathered at Saul's a couple days later, watching the news on the tiny television screen behind the bar.

 

" _Citizens of Los Angeles breathed a sigh of relief today as their popular mayor, Alan King, was released from police custody and cleared of all wrongdoing..._ "

 

"'Bout time!" Eliot cheers, clinking his pint glass against Jensen's.

 

" _...and in a related story, California politician Timothy Richelieu was arrested last night on charges of fraud, conspiracy, and attempted murder. Police have also issued warrants for the arrest of at least two other accomplices in the case._ "

 

"Don't suppose they could mention us, or nothin'." Alec grumbles, but Jensen knows he's just as happy with the news as they are.

 

“… _Mayor King will be holding a press conference at five p.m. tonight. Channel Five’s Julie Delpy will be there providing full coverage, as well as an exclusive interview with the Mayor._ ”

 

Saul drops off another round of beers and the three men toast to a job well done. It's not a party yet, Jensen thinks. There's still someone missing...

 

As if he was just waiting for Jensen to start missing him, Jared walks into the bar, bright smile and dimples giving away the results of his meeting with Alan King. Jensen's up and hugging him before he can say a word, whispering quiet congratulations in his ear, feeling the _thank you_ spoken silently against his temple.

 

When he lets go, Alec and Eliot are standing behind them, not bothering to hide their amusement. Eliot holds his hand out for Jared to shake, but the younger man swoops forward before his friend can react. Jared wraps Eliot in the most enthusiastic hug Jensen's ever witnessed; Eliot's feet leave the ground as Jared picks him up and swings him. Jensen can't stop laughing at how uncomfortable Eliot looks.

 

"Put me down, ya damn beast!"

 

Jared does, and Alec takes a step back to avoid the same fate. "I'm guessin' you got the job then?"

 

Reaching back to wrap an arm around Jensen's shoulders, Jared nods. "I'm starting next week as the assistant to his head of Public Relations. Now all I have to do is find an apartment!"

 

"Move in with me." Jensen's brain misfires, sending the thought straight to his mouth.

 

"What?"

 

He can't reply, still trying to figure _why_ he just blurted that out. Fortunately, Eliot runs with it.

 

"Do it, kid. He's serious."

 

Jared turns hazel eyes on him, looking a few breaths away from panicking. "Are you?"

 

He can't fault Jared, needing to hear it from _him_ instead of going by Eliot's word.

 

"Yeah," he croaks, and clears his throat. "Yeah, I really am. I mean, my place is plenty big enou-"

 

Jensen's arms are filled with Jared before he can finish, the younger man kissing him senseless. Definitely senseless, since they're in a bar and Jensen's not even bating an eyelash. He's too wrapped up in twining his tongue along Jared's, feeling soft lips part for him and giving everything back in return. When they break apart, Jared's grin matches how Jensen's must look - unabashedly happy.

 

From the corner of his eye, Jensen sees Eliot smack Alec's shoulder. "Are you cryin'?"

 

"California air pollen, man."

 

"We're _inside_ , Hardison."

 

Jared draws him back, whispering quietly so it stays between the two of them. "I don't want to ask you again if you're sure. I'm too afraid you'll change your mind."

 

Being able to make Jared smile whenever he wants? The sex whenever he wants, plus a best friend right under his roof? _Hell yes_ , sign Jensen up.

 

"I won't."

 

"Hey Saul! Grab our boy Jared a beer and put it on my tab."

 

The bottle Saul hands over means their three just became four, better now than they were before.

 

Jensen presses close to Jared at the bar, the younger man fitting between him and Alec like he was always meant to be there.

 

"So Jay man, tell me more about that punk who chased you down here?"

 

"Oh, Chad?" Jared takes a swallow of his beer, sly look crossing his face. "Nothin' much to tell. He still thinks I took advantage of his sister."

 

Eliot's the first to offer. "Want me to rip his arms out?"

 

"How 'bout I send him like a thousand porn magazines?"

 

Jared smiles wide and genuine, leaning back against Jensen's side. 

 

"No offense Eliot, but _definitely_ the porn. Can you make it _gay_ porn?”

 

“Sure thing.”

 

“Thanks, Alec."

 

"My pleasure, bro. My pleasure."

 

 

 

FIN

 

 

Additional notes: D'Artangan was a STUPID LITTLE BITCH for not going back for Athos. That's ALL I have to say about that. I feel I've rectified that as best I can, so there. To be honest, I feel a little bad that this story followed the plot of the movie so closely – but it’s a movie I enjoy SO much.

 

Many thanks to my f-list who encouraged me not to trash this story. It was originally set in the same time period as the movie, and super-serious, but that was NO fun. Then I was going to drop it all together, but alas! Eliot and Alec came to mind and this was born. Special thanks to matalinolukaret who Leverage-proofed the story =)

 

Thanks to the ladies who started the j2_everafter challenge. It was a blast! Feedback is welcomed!

 

All my other fics are [H E R E](http://kelleigh.livejournal.com/222443.html).


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